Plating rack



A. G. RUSSELL Julie 13, 1950 PLATING RACK Filed Dec. 20, 1946 mvzwran fiussaz AH'ORMFY Patented June 13, 1950 PLATING RAGK Alexander G. Russell, Hinsdale, 111., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation .of New York Application December 20, 1946, Serial No. 717,545

7 Claims.

This invention relates to plating racks and more particularly to plating racks for holding articles in a chromium plating .solution during the chromium plating thereof and for shielding portions of the parts not to be plated.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved rack for use in plating articles in which a good electrical contact is established with'the articles.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a rack is provided comprising a tubular member of rectangular cross section, in a pair of opposite walls of which a plurality of holes are formed adjacent .a third wall thereof for receiving portions of the articles to be plated and for supporting the articles with those portions thereof not to be plated positioned within the tubular rack. An elongated leaf spring bowed transversely of its length is mounted longitudinally within the tubular rack against :the third Wall thereof for resiliently engaging the portions of articles inserted into the apertures in th rack and the rack is provided with a supporting hook for supporting the rack in a plating bath and for Connecting the rack to a source of plating current.

In another embodiment, a tubular rack is provided with a pair of elongated transversely bowed leaf springs engaging opposite walls of the tubular rack and with the middle portion of the springs curved inwardly adjacent each other to engage and hold parts to be plated inserted therebetween and through apertures in walls of the rack.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description thereof when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating two embodiments'thereof in which Fig. 1 is a front view of one embodimentof the plating rack;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the plating rack shown in Fig. 1 and indicating therein a single spring member in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the rack taken on .the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing an article in position therein;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the rack taken on the lineA-A of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side viewlof another embodiment of the plating rack and indicating a pair of spring members in dotted, lines; and

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional .view of the rack taken on the line BB of Fig. 5.

In the embodiments of the invention illustrated herein, the plating racks are .usedin connection with the chromium plating of parts in which only limited areas of the parts are to bemlated. The rack illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 may be used for supporting a plurality of relay cores or similar articles 1, each having .an elongated body or shank 8 and each of which parts is to be entirely chromium platedexcept fora central peripheral portion of the .shank intermediate the ends of the part and the rack may be used for supporting articles which are to .be chromium plated except for their end portions, .as, for example, the U- shaped armature parts =9. The rack lflcomprises a channel member 1 I having a front wall .l2.and side walls l3 and M extending therefrom. Formed in the side walls l3 and M, at .a predetermined distance from the front wall 12, area plurality of regularly spaced aligned apertures [5-15 and/or slots Iii-PIS. A straight leaf spring is, bowed .or curved in transverse cross section, is mounted within the channel member II and extends substantially the length of the rack. The spring 13 is positioned .inengagement with the wall I2 and pins .and .21, fitted in apertures in the side walls I3 and M, serve to retain the spring in positionagainst the wall. .A cover plate or wall .23 is secured .to the edges of the walls I3 and M in any suitable manner, .as by brazing or welding along their meeting edges and, together with the channel member, form a tubular rack of rectangular cross section. A sup.- porting arm 25, having a hookedend 26, :issecured to the upperend of the rack by-abolt 2] and nut 28 and is adapted to engage current carrying bars and establish electrical connection therewith and to support the rack in a plating solution.

The boltZl passes through an aperture in the spring l8 and serves to retain the :spring within the rack .and prevent longitudinal displacement thereof. The spring l8 has a transverse curvature and is so positioned that its edges are in engagement with the Wall 12 and in spaced relation to the walls 13 and I4 and the springjiscompressible against the wall I2. The centerportion of the spring projects forwardly and intersects the laterally projected outlines of the openings I5 and i6 and engages parts inserted therein and firmly urges them against the opposite edges .of the apertures l5 oragainst the wall -23. 1

The relay cores 7 may be easily assembled on the rack by inserting the shanks thereof through pair of aligned apertures l5 and the-armature parts 9, likewise, may be easily assembledon-the rack by inserting the ends thereof through the openings IS in the .walls of the rack and moving the parts to the correct position thereon. The spring engages the portions of the articles within the rack and urges the parts against the edges of the walls l3 and I4 formed by the apertures l-5 or against the wall 23 to firmly grip them and establish a good electrical connection between the rack and the articles. With the articles in position on the rack, a longitudinal portion of the spring is flexed and compressed toward the wall l2 adjacent each article or each portion of the article engaged by the spring while the remaining portions of the spring in the regions of the apertures not occupied by the articles remain in their normal unfiexed position. Thus, this single spring serves to hold each part with a portion of a spring which exerts an individual resilient force independent of the action of other portions of the spring.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the plating rack is made from a one-piece tubular member 38 rectangular in cross section and comprised of the walls 4|, 42, 43 and 44, and which has a hooked supporting arm 39 secured to its upper end. Mounted within the tubular rack and extending longitudinally thereof are a pair of elongated springs 46 and 41 arranged with the edges of the respective springs engaging the opposite walls 4! and 43 and with their center curved portions disposed adjacent or in contact with each other, as shown in Fig. 6. 46 and 47 are held against longitudinal displacement within the tubular rack by a bolt and nut assembly 48, which also serves to secure the arm 39 to the rack. In the other opposing walls 42 and 44, a plurality of apertures 4949 are provided, respectively, some of which apertures in one wall may be in alignment with the apertures in the other wall to receive portions of elongated articles passing through the rack, or the apertures need not be aligned with other apertures and may receive the end portions of articles inserted through the apertures into the plating rack. In either case, the portions of the articles positioned within the rack engage the curved portions of the springs 46 and 4! and compress them, respectively, toward the walls 4| and 43 and are tightly gripped therebetween. The rack with the double spring construction may readily accommodate articles of narrow or wide width,

the springs engaging the parts on opposite sides to firmly hold them in position on the rack and to establish a good electrical contact therewith.

The articles to be plated are positioned on the rack so that the portions thereof to be plated The springs extend exteriorly of the rack and the portions not to be plated extend within the hollow rack and are enclosed within and shielded by the walls thereof. The interior surfaces of the hollow rack and the spring are also protected by the shielding effect of the walls of the rack and, if

desired, the external surface of the rack may be covered with a coating of insulation to prevent the plating thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A plating rack comprising an electrically conducting tubular member having a flat wall and a pair of spaced walls extending transversely from said flat wall, each of said spaced walls being provided with a plurality of apertures arranged in a row and disposed adjacent said flat wall and in transversely aligned relation to the apertures in the other one of said spaced walls for receiving and positioning a plurality of articles to be plated in a predetermined spaced relation to said fiat wall, an elongated straight leaf spring curved in transverse cross section longitudinally mounted within said tubular member with its longitudinal edges engaging said flat wall and with the curved portion of the spring extending from said wall into the space between the aligned apertures in said spaced walls, said spring being at any point longitudinally thereof independently compressible against said flat wall and adapted to engage and yieldingly clamp against said tubular member articles inserted into said member through said apertures, means on said tubular member for connecting said member to a source of plating current, and means connected with said tubular member for retaining the spring therein.

2. A plating rack comprising an electrically conducting tubular member of rectangular cross section having a plurality of aligned apertures in a pair of oppositely disposed walls thereof for receiving portions of articles to be plated, an electrically conducting connector arm on said tubular member for supporting the tubular member in a plating bath and for connecting the tubular member to one side of a source of plating current, an elongated straight spring bowed transversely of its length and extending longitudinally within said tubular member with its side edges in engagement with a third wall thereof, said spring being independently compressible toward the third wall at any point longitudinally thereof and having its bowed portion extending into the space between the aligned apertures and engageable with articles inserted through the apertures in the walls of the tubular member for yieldingly clamping said articles to said tubular member, and means for holding said spring against said third wall.

3. A plating rack comprising an electrically conducting tubular member of rectangular cross section, a pair of elongated straight leaf springs curved in transverse cross section mounted longitudinally in said tubular member with the edges of the respective springs engaging opposite walls of said tubular member, each of said springs having its curved portion extending away from the wall engaging the said spring and toward the other spring and having longitudinal portions thereof independently compressible against the said wall engaging said spring for holding articles inserted therebetween, the other walls of said tubular member being provided with apertures through which parts to be plated may be positioned in clamping relation with and between said springs, means for retaining said springs within said tubular member, and means for supporting said tubular member in a plating bath and for connecting said tubular member to a source of plating current.

4. A plating rack comprising an electrically conducting tubular member having openings in the walls thereof for receiving portions of articles to be plated, a pair of elongated straight springs curved in transverse cross section mounted longitudinally in said tubular member with the edges of the respective springs engaging 0pposite walls of said tubular member, each of said springs being compressible against its wall and having its curved portion extending away from its wall toward the other spring for yieldingly clamping articles inserted therebetween, means for retaining said springs within said tubular member, and means for supporting said tubular member in a plating bath and for connecting it to a source of plating current, said openings in said tubular member being located between the walls engaged by the said springs for the insertion of articles through said openings and between said springs.

5. A plating rack comprising an electrically conducting tubular member having transversely aligned apertures in opposite wall portions thereof for receiving the shanks of articles to be plated, an electrically conducting support on said tubular member for supporting said tubular member in a plating bath and for connecting said tubular member to one side of a source of Plating current, an elongated normally straight electrically conducting leaf spring of substantially uniform width and bowed in cross section and extending longitudinally within said tubular member and having longitudinal edges engaging an inner surface of said tubular member, said spring having its convex outer surface extending into the space between said aligned apertures in the tubular member to engage portions of articles inserted through the apertures for yieldably maintaining said articles in engagement with said tubular member, and means for retaining said spring in said tubular member.

6. In a plating rack for supporting a plurality of articles to be plated in a plating bath and for connecting the articles to a source of plating current, the combination of an electrically conducting elongated tubular member having a substantially flat wall, an elongated straight leaf spring mounted longitudinally in said member with longitudinal edges of the spring engaging said flat wall, a plurality of electrically conducting spaced walls extending transversely from said flat wall on opposite sides of said spring and having a plurality of transversely aligned articleengaging surfaces for receiving and supporting a plurality of articles in positions spaced a predetermined distance from said fiat wall, said spring being bowed in cross section with its curved portion extending from said flat wall a distance greater than said predetermined distance for engaging articles placed on said article engaging surfaces of said spaced walls to yieldingly clamp said articles in position thereon, means for retaining said spring in said tubular member, and means on said electrically conducting elongated tubular member for connecting said member to one side of a source of plating current.

7. A plating rack comprising a tubular member having a first wall and a pair of spaced walls extending transversely from said first wall, said spaced walls being provided with aligned apertures for receiving a plurality of articles to be plated in a predetermined spaced relation from said first wall, an elongated electrically conducting leaf spring curved in transverse cross section and longitudinally mounted within said tubular member with its longitudinal edges engaging said first wall and with the curved portion of the spring extending from said wall into the space between th aligned apertures in said spaced walls, said spring being at any point longitudinally thereof independently compressible against said first wall and adapted to engage and yieldingly retain articles inserted through said apertures, and means attached to the tubular member for retaining the spring therein.

ALEXANDER G. RUSSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 197,408 Rogers Nov. 20, 1877 1,958,539 Hicks May 15, 1934 1,964,042 Du Bois June 26, 1934 1,965,178 Franklin July 3, 1934 2,137,819 Wagner Nov. 22, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 685,608 France Apr. 1, 1930 

